RUN LIKE FEMKE BOL.

Sheer joy after a shocking comeback.

 

We begin this post, well, at the finish line. The setting is: the women’s 4x400-meter relay at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Three top teams — Jamaica, Great Britain, and the Netherlands — vied for the lead throughout the race. Entering the anchor leg, Jamaica had a good lead, with Great Britain following in second and the Netherlands a bit farther back in third. Yet the Dutch anchor was Femke Bol, a gifted athlete who had something to prove. Yes, she’d won gold at her signature event — the 400-meter hurdles — but had fallen right near the finish line in the mixed (i.e., men’s and women’s) 4x400 relay, disqualifying the team.

Often enough, writer-types (and other types) dismiss the importance of athletic competition, but they couldn’t be more mistaken. Overcoming a significant deficit right at the finish line, Femke Bol reminds us all to “believe in your game” and “keep pushing despite long odds” and “run for your teammates” or your community. This is not meant to take anything away from Jamaica and Great Britain whose athletes are world-class and whose teams finished second and third, respectively, by mere fractions of a second. They too were magnificent and earned their spots on the podium.

For me, anyhow, Femke Bol ran a race that depended on the craft of her calm, upright posture as well as the edginess of her finish — the great move she made at the end, when she sprinted for all she was worth. It is one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Her teammates are Eveline Saalberg, who ran the first leg; Lieke Klaver, who ran a magnificent second leg; and Cathelijn Peeters, who ran the third leg. To be fair, they all played a big role, and Femke Bol didn’t win the race by herself.

Don’t take my word for it though. Check out the following videos, which explore the results from a couple of different perspectives. Laten we gaan!

The whole race. 

The race, as seen from the perspective of
two teammates cheering from the stands

This “Running” post is part of a double issue, Dear Reader. Would you rather walk, instead? Check out these five walkers — but be prepared to jump! And shake!